Dispensing closures



May 22, 1962 R. NYDEN DISPENSING CLOSURES Filed Aug. 50, 1960 FIGJ - INVENTOR ROBERT NYDEN .BY g W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,035,744 DISPENSING CLOSURES Robert Nyden, Manhasset, N.Y., assignor to Waterbury Companies, Inc., Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 52,872 9 Claims. (Cl. 222493) This invention relates to a dispensing closure for a squeeze type of plastic container which in one position on the container will seal the contents in the container while in another position on the container will allow dispensing the contents through said closure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a one piece closure constructed to be resiliently retained on a container neck.

It is another object of the invention to provide discharge passages in the closure in such a manner as to simplify the molding of the closure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an arrangement of a discharge passage and a nozzle passage in the closure whereby the closure can be rotated on the container neck to dispense the contents in different radial directions.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description of the invention.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the closure;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing one embodiment of the invention in sealing position on a container neck;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the closure and container with the closure in open position and showing the contents being dispensed;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the closure having the structure and arrangement of parts shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows to show the discharge passage of the closure.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical-sectional view of a modified closure on a container in closed position; and

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of the closure shown in FIGURE 6 showing a plurality of recesses or cavities forming discharge passages.

In all of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing, the closure is mounted on a squeeze type of plastic container including a body 7 and a neck 8 arranged with a protuberance 9 in the form of an external head at the mouth of the neck and an outlet passage 1% In the embodiment of the invention shown in F1"- URES 1 to 5, inclusive, the closure comprises a closed top 11 having a plug portion 12 and a skirt portion 13 depending from said top.

The plug portion 12 is depended from a center section of the top 11 to a greater extent than the skirt portion 13 and is arranged with a longitudinal cavity 14 extending the length of the plug portion 12 and eccentric to the longitudinal axis of the plug portion 12 to permit the provision of a discharge passage in the form of a groove 15 within the confines of the plug portion. The section of the plug portion 12 adjoining the top 11 is of increased thickness to form a shoulder 16 adapted to limit the movement of the closure toward the container 7 as shown in FIGURE 2. The diameter of the plug portion 12 is of such dimension to move freely in the outlet passage of the neck 8.

The skirt portion 13 is diametrically spaced from the plug portion 12 a distance so that the inner surface of 2 of the skirt portion will form a liquid tight fit with the protuberance 9 of the container neck and form a bearing surface for the sliding movement of the closure. The lower end section of the skirt portion is provided with an annular projection 17 to limit the upward movement of the closure by abutting the protuberance 9 of the container neck 8, as shown in FIGURE 3. The skirt portion 13 is provided with a nozzle 13 extending in the circumferential plane of the skirt portion 13 and having an outlet portion 19 extending beyond the closure top 11. The nozzle is in radial alignment With the discharge passage 15 of the plug portion 12 and is provided with a passage 20 having an outlet 21 at the outlet portion 19 and an inlet 22 at the lower end of the passage 20, so that in the innermost position of the closure on the container neck with the shoulder 16 abutting the top of the container neck 8, the inlet 22 is closed by the container neck 8 in conjunction with the sealing engagement of the container neck protuberance 9 with the inner surface of the skirt portion 13, as shown in FIGURE 2. When the closure is raised on the container neck 8 to its outermost position with the projection 17 abutting the protuberance 9, the inlet 22 is in communication with the discharge passage 15 of the plug portion 12 with the liquid passing over the top of the container neck 8, as shown in FIGURE 3. The skirt portion 13 at the juncture with the top 11 is of increased thickness and provided with knurls, as at 23, to facilitate turning of the closure on the container neck to direct a stream of the contents of the container in different radial positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the closure. The knurls 23 terminate at the sides of the nozzle 18, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The closure is constructed of a desirable flexible material, such as polyethylene, which will facilitate snapping the projection 17 over the protuberance 9 in as sembling the closure on the container neck. Said material Will also form a sealing fit between the protuberance 9 and the inner surface of the skirt portion 13.

As previously stated, the plug portion 12 is extended from the top 11 to a greater extent than the skirt portion 13 and the comparative lengths of the plug portion and the skirt portion is such that in the closed position of the closure the lower edge of the skirt portion 13 is adjacent to the top of the container and the lower section of the plug portion 12 projects into the container below the top wall of the container, as shown in FIGURE 2. \Vhen the closure is in opened position with the projection 17 abutting the protuberance 9, the lower or inner extremity of the plug portion 12 is substantially fiush with the inner surface of the top of the container, as shown in FIGURE 3, so that the plug portion 12 will extend the full length of the neck portion 8 and prevent the closure from tilting when in full open position.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show a modified closure structure wherein a plug portion depending from a center section of a top portion 24 comprises radial-longitudinal spokes 25 spaced apart to form longitudinal spaces 26 and slidably engaged with the inlet passage 10. A skirt portion 27 is depended from the top portion 24 in diametrically spaced relation to the plug spokes 25 and the inner surface of the skirt portion 27 is provided with an annular ridge 28 adjacent to the top portion 24 to form an annular chamber 28 connecting the upper or inner end portions of the spaces 26 to each other. The flexibility of the material, such as polyethylene, of the closure will permit the ridge 28 to be readily forced over the protuberance 9 when the closure is pulled-up to open position. The inner surface of the skirt portion 27 near the inner edge is provided with a projection 29 to abut the protuberance 9 and limit the outward movement of the closure on the container neck 8. The skirt portion 27 is also provided with a nozzle 30 extending in the circumferential plane of the skirt portion and having a discharge passage outlet 31 above the closure top 24 and an inlet 32 closed by the container neck 8' when the ridge 23 is in engagement with the protuberance 9, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 6, and in communication with a radially aligned space 26 of the plug portion when the projection 29 abuts the protuberance 9 in the opened position of the closure, as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 6.

The inner surface of the closure top 24 between the plug spokes 25 and the skirt portion 27 is flat to engage the top of the container neck, as shown at 33 in FIGURE 6 and limit the movement of the closure on said container neck toward the container 7. The skirt portion adjoining the closure top 24 is of increased thickness and the circumference of said increased thickness is knurled, as at 34, to facilitate turning the closure on the container neck to direct the stream of the contents of the container in different radial positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the closure. The knurls 34 terminate at the sides of the nozzle 30.

The lengths of the spokes 25 and the skirt portion 27 are proportioned in the same manner as the plug portion 12 and the skirt portion 13 and for the same reason.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a container provided with a neck having an outlet passage and a protuberance, of a dispensing closure having a closed top, a plug portion depending from the closed top and arrangedwith a discharge passage and disposed in the outlet passage of the container neck with the discharge passage opening to the container, and a skirt portion depending from the closed top in circumferentially spaced relation to the plug portion and having a sliding liquid ti ht fit with the container neck protuberance, said skirt portion being provided with a nozzle passage having an outlet exposed exteriorly of the skirt portion and an inlet opening at an intermediate interior section of the skirt portion in communication with the discharge passage of the plug portion, whereby in the innermost position of the closure on the container neck the inlet of the nozzle passage in the skirt portion is closed and in the outermost position of the closure on the container neck the inlet of the nozzle passage in the skirt portion is in communication with the discharge passage of the plug portion.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the skirt portion is arranged with an inwardly extending projection at the inner end thereof to engage the protuberance of the container neck and limit the outward movement of the closure on the container neck and position the inlet of the nozzle passage in communication with the discharge passage of the plug portion.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug portion is of greater length than the skirt portion.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle passage extends in the circumferential plane of the skirt portion.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge passage of the plug portion is a groove in a side section of the plug portion facing the inlet of the nozzle passage and extending longitudinally of the plug portion.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug portion is arranged with a longitudinal cavity eccentrio of the longitudinal axis of the plug portion and the discharge passage is a longitudinal groove arranged on the exterior side of the cavity nearest to the longitudinal axis of the plug portion.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug portion is provided with a plurality of spaces radiating from the longitudinal axisof the plug'portion and'constituting the discharge passage of the plug portion. 7

8. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug portion is provided with a shoulder adjacentto the closed top of the closure to abut the top of the container neck in the innermost position of the closure on the container neck.

9. The combination as claimed in claim'7, wherein an intermediate section of the inner surface of the skirt portion above the inlet of the nozzle passage is arranged with a ridge to form an annular chamber connecting the upper end portions of the spaces to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,987 King July 20, 1920 2,051,513 Bingham Aug. 18, 1936 2,808,184 Vanko Oct. 1, 1957 2,877,918 Gardner Mar. 17, 1959 

